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The advantage of the AirMini is that it has a built-in humidifier in the hose (kind of cartridge).
I have a DeVilbiss with a 15mm hose and use an Airfit P10 mask.
The Airmini comes also with an Airfit P10 for the Air Mini. In the hose, there is then a connection to put a kind of humidifier cartridge in.
Could this combination nose mask / hose for the Airmini also be used on another machine like DeVilbis.
I assume the hose diameter is different but maybe adapters exist.
I travel a lot and it would be an advantage not to have to carry also that bulky humidifier from DeVilbis with me.
Thanks for any help / clarification.

What the AirMini uses is called a Heat Moisture Exchanger-HME. You could add one inline with any hose with some DIY know how. So if you had a spare hose you could add a HME to it and ditch the DeVilbiss's humidifier. Not sure how much weight that would save you but it would work. I don't have any experience with an HME but I'm sure it's comparable to the HumidX system on the AirMini.

As far as using other masks with the AirMini, the AirMini uses a small hose diameter and has slots cut into it so it can fit into the port on the machine which has these two plastic jut outs. The point is, it's only a physical limitation that ResMed put in to make other hoses incompatible, it's not a technical limitation. If you wanted you could potentially cut slots into a hose end to make it fit with the AirMini. Other members around here have tried using a section of the AirMini tubing and then taking that up to a standard size with an adapter so they can fit other masks on it. All that's a lot of work and if you have a factory hose and p10 setup pack then I'd just stick with that for the AirMini.

(03-14-2019, 09:40 AM)brody287 Wrote: As far as using other masks with the AirMini, the AirMini uses a small hose diameter and has slots cut into it so it can fit into the port on the machine which has these two plastic jut outs. The point is, it's only a physical limitation that ResMed put in to make other hoses incompatible, it's not a technical limitation. If you wanted

Keep in mind that for the HME humidification to work, your exhaled breath needs to pass across the HME cartridge. It doesn't work by magic and the only way it is able to put any humidity or heat into the next breath is by scavenging it from your last exhalation. Placing any HME in the portion of the CPAP circuit that only receives supply air from the blower will do nothing to humidify the air.

Many knock ResMed for using proprietary connectors on the AirMini, but I believe this is largely driven by the operating requirements for HME to work and wanting to ensure it works properly. Both the P10 and N20 intended for use with the AirMini are modified versions with different venting designs and exhaust port locations to accommodate the HumidX HME system while also preventing excessive rebreathing.

That said, if you don't care about humidification, then the proprietary connectors are stupid and finding a way to get around them is of primary importance.

Thank you guys for your help.
It would appear to me that there is consensus that you can use this setup on another machine than the Air mini.
To come back to the comments of Hamguy515: if I use the full and original Resmed P10 Air Mini mask set , then this would ensure the breathed out air flows back to the pump over the filter and de DeVilbiss DV60 internals could cope with that (still slightly humid air).

The HME works (kinda) because the exhaust vents are located at the HME module on the side toward the machine. All masks must be vented to prevent rebreathing too much CO2, and standard P10 masks are vented right at the frame under the nose pillow cushion. Technically, the Airmini variant does not exhaust back to the machine, but only to the vents on the HME.

I have to wonder if the HME disks affect the pressure at the mask? If so, using one on a machine without a setting for the disks would mean that the min and max settings for APAP would be off since the machines only have pressure sensors at the machine output and have to calculate the mask pressure based on known pressure loss from the hose and mask type.

Stom,
I believe you are right. As you introduce a "barrier" in the tube, there will be a pressure drop and a drop in flow.
I would suggest I use a "normal" P10 mask for a couple of minutes and read out what the actual min and max pressure reading on the display is (for me, currently the setpoint for max pressure is 8 mm H2O and for min pressure 5 mm H2O).
Then I mount the P10 mask with built in humidifier, use it for a few minutes and read out what the actual values are this time. I then adjust both setpoints as to have the same actual min and max pressures as with the standard P10 mask.
Agree ?.
(I you have a Pulse Oximeter , you can put it on your finger and measure average Oxygen levels in your blood as an extra control. If you get too much CO2 , the oxygen levels will drop.
By the way, using occasionally an Oxymeter that records you oxygen levels during a night sleep and that you can read out on your PC , is very usefull as a complement to the report that comes out of your CPAP. The reporting function of the Oxymeter gives you a report that shows how many times your oxygen levels dropped eg below 90% and for how long , indication for an apnea (see attchment ). You have very expensive Oximeters costing hundreds of dollars but mine just costs 70€ and is first class - see report attached)

The AirMini system use a shorter, narrower tube, which tends to offset the effect of the HME by reducing the volume in the circuit. The HME media is porous and does not restrict flow at the volume typical for respiration. Flow restriction or pressure drop would slightly isolate the machine's sensors from your breathing patterns, but the machine should still detect changes in respiratory volume related to apnea, hypopnea and flow limitation and respond appropriately. The pressure and flow sensors are in the machine, not in the tube or mask, so interpolation of mask pressure is based on an algorithm for all CPAP devices, including the Autoset. The AirMini is specifically designed to work with this system of tubing, HME and mask, and the algorithms are tested in the laboratory to deliver the pressure and flow that the settings dictate. There may be some minor error, but I think as long as you don't modify the breathing circuit in a way not anticipated by the designers and engineers, that you can rely on delivery of the pressure range you set.

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